You can either complain or do something about the problem: The choice is YOURS!

Over the past few years I've heard a lot of griping, bellyaching and complaining over how our industry is in an economic backslide. Some blamed the internet, some indicted DEMA and others have traced the source to any number of others, including ScubaBoard. It's blame shifting on an industry scale, and since we can't agree on the source, nothing get's changed and we continue to wallow in mediocrity.

Well, not all of us. Enter John Lewis who started a idiegogo campaign a month or two ago to start "Around the World, Under the Sea" TV series. Many of us thought it was a grand idea, unfortunately, not many of us supported John's efforts. The campaign failed and for most of us that would be the end of the discussion.

Not for John.

In typical John fashion, he forgot to be defeated so easily and consequently, his dream still lives on. Surprised? You shouldn't be, but I have to admit that I was. I was not only pleasantly surprised, but I was inspired. You should read his latest blog here on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20140615221955-188281065-rejecting-popular-notions-of-defeat?anchorTime=1402882290762&deepLinkCommentId=5884114803672240128&trk=hb_ntf_MEGAPHONE_LIKE_TOP_LEVEL_COMMENT

Thanks John.

Thanks for not giving up or in. Thanks for keeping the dream alive. Thanks for starting all over again. This time you have not only my verbal support, but my dollars and a more active role for me in finding donors donors for this endeavor. You deserve to win. You can make a difference where so many have thrown in the beach towel. Please, join me in supporting John's attempt to bring Scuba into the living rooms of the general public. Go to https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2062950464/around-the-world-under-the-sea and give generously. Give like our industry depends on it. It's a good chance that it does.

Pete,

I went to his website and read the blog. My question would be, does he actually have a contract or an agreement with someone to broadcast this show or the episodes where it will reach a lot of folks? Or, is he just making the first few episodes hoping that someone will pick it up and put it on TV?

Or you can applaud the just rewards that some in the industry are reaping as a result of deceptive business practices that are designed to maximize profits by suppressing competition and deceiving customers. I may be wrong, but my impression is that many of the more stand-up players are not suffering the industry setbacks to the same degree. At least, I hope they are not.

EDIT: Meant deceptive, not deceitful. Thanks

BDSC, I couldn't tell you the answers to those questions, but I have invited John to this thread to answer any and all questions.

awap, If you feel that there are any "deceitful business practices" going on, I would advise you to point them out in another thread, report them to the BBB and possibly also to authorities. Maximizing profits is not a crime and it often results in a better product and the prolonged life of the business in question. I'm not sure why anyone believes Scuba should be free or without profit. I know that there are a few here who want to proclaim as loudly as they can that the sky is falling, er that the Scuba Industry is evil, and it's my ever be it so humble opinion that they are more a part of the problem and not the solution. I might be interpreting your post wrong, but to many "Stand up" merely means "I like them and they do things my way". Too many in this industry have the "If I don't sell, teach or dive it, then it must be crap". Again, it's my humble opinion that we dive in a huge ocean and that there's enough room for all of us.

I am admittedly not in the know about this show or what he's proposing to do, but just some advice - skip TV and go to the Internet. Youtube, Vimeo, whatever. If a show gets "picked up" but put on some obscure channel that only the people paying $400+ a month for 10 million channels of cable get to see, you're not really reaching "everyone's living rooms." Put it on Youtube, sell advertising and subscriptions. Less initial overhead, better chance at reaching more people. Just some thoughts from a "Millennial."

You do not need to be on TV to reach people, look at all the different people and ideas that have come out of youtube. There is a guy who does that showing local dives in the Long Island Sound that he puts on youtube and then puts up links here and in other places to drive traffic to his videos. Squalus Marine The internet has also changed the industry, most manufactures are trying to hold onto the old ways but you do have companies like HOG who see a different future and are getting out in front of that. You can buy their regs online, take their course, buy parts and do your own service. If you do not service your own regs you can still get the parts and have someone else do it for you. They see a future less dependent on the LDS to sell their gear. The LDS needs to adept to this new future to stay in business by offering things that you cannot get on line. Starting a local club that offers outings is a simple example. Keep the newer people involved by offering simple, shallow dives that keep people connected to the shop and the other people who patronize that shop. Stop pushing deeper dives and more advanced courses that will sell more gear sooner, these people will get there soon enough in their own time and with better overall retention of divers then the 1/3 or less that currently continue after OW. The strength of this industry has always been self regulation but that idea has been taken to an extreme by a few LDS that make up their own rules about what tanks they will fill. My belief is that they are a small minority that give the industry as a whole a bad name. They have been able to do this because the industry has failed to regulate itself so now you have DOT inspection stations that are stamping "VE" into tanks after the normal inspection stamps when they hydro tanks that are made from the old aluminum alloys. Sooner rather then later someone is going to go into a shop with a tank that has just been hydroed, visual and eddy tested by the DOT and that LDS will refuse to fill it. This could easily take self regulation out of the hands of the people who know the most about the sport.

Not that it's exactly the same thing but there is already at least one "scuba tv show" already in production. Scubanation does TV and web stuff. I think they're on FSNFL (who airs my beloved Rays games frequently)! However, I'd watch both if they were both airing.

I backed it. Figure what the heck, I won't miss the few bucks. Maybe I'll have a few minutes of interesting dive footage to watch someday as a result.

I hate to say this but for me watching someone else diving gets boring after about 2 minutes. The short youtube vids are fine but anything longer is like watching paint dry IMO. I watched this https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2062950464/around-the-world-under-the-sea and thought it was well done but it's 2 minutes which is about right.

anything longer has to have a story that goes along with it or it gets boring real fast.Blue Planet is a great program but I imagine it's extremely expensive to produce.

The show isn't really for the enthusiast diver: it's to entice people to start diving.

Pete-

I tend to agree with your summations 99% of the time..the other 1% I think your just playing with my mind lol...that being said...I've found that a PHYSICAL invitation to try scuba works wonders. I now carry "Try dive" gift cards with me...valid for our shop only. I have ZERO problem giving away several every month. As I said to the owner..." I'd rather give em a CHANCE to fall in love than TELL them they can fall in love"
So far....I'm averaging 1 O/W enrollment for every 4-5 try dive give aways. It makes me crazy when I see LDS's that focus one 1 dollar today..instead of a dime every month for the next 20 years....give me the dime!

Bubs